ACT Multi Hazard Advisory Council

Dr Sally Troy B.Sc.(Hons), M.Env.Law, Ph.D., GAICD 

Sally has more than 30 years experience in natural resources management, initially as a scientist and then as a senior executive in Parks Victoria and in the Australian Public Service portfolios of environment and agriculture. Throughout her career she has focused on the development and use of science and technology for risk-based management, most recently in the arena of plant biosecurity.  She has extensive chairing experience, having lead groups responsible for issues ranging from national crisis response, regulatory systems reform, strategic direction of investment programs, to provision of expert technical advice. Sally has been a life-long participant in the community and not-for-profit sectors, serving as volunteer in many roles from frontline services for the disadvantaged, through to support of schools and community sport. Sally is currently serving as a Director of Vinehealth Australia and a Management Committee member of Woden Valley Soccer Club and has previously served as a Board member of the Victorian National Parks Association, Forrest Primary School and the Environment Defender’s Offices of Tasmania and the ACT. 

Dylan worked for 27 years in all aspects of Government bushfire management including preparedness, prevention, response and recovery in the ACT, NSW, QLD and TAS. Within the ACT, Dylan was the author of the Territory and Municipal Services Bushfire Operations Plan for seven years, co-authored two versions of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan, introduced the concept of and was the author of two versions of the Regional Fire Management Plans and performed the role of Planning Officer in the ACT’s pre-formed level 3 Incident Management Team.

Dylan has introduced innovations that are now widely used in the Australian and international bushfire management communities. Dylan currently works introducing advanced technologies to disaster management and other industries such as humanitarian and public transport. Dylan has a Bachelor of Forest Science, was awarded the University Medal from the Australian National University and is a member of various international committees on the use of advanced technologies in disaster management.

Nina is an ACT Rural Landholder and Grazier with over 35 years of experience in agriculture with studies in farm planning and animal husbandry with experience in applying current production systems towards a more sustainable model, practicing good stewardship of the natural systems and resources. Among other things, this involves rotating crops and embracing diversity, planting cover crops, integrated pest management, integration between livestock and crops and precision farming. Nina aims for sustainable agricultural ensuring environmental sustainability while enhancing, or at least maintaining, farm productivity.

Nina is also a retired teacher in Adult Education specialising in Management and Business Studies. With a long history in Business and Retail Industry, current industry knowledge and experience, coupled with teaching qualifications and years of teaching experience Nina has a proven record of teaching in a classroom, flexible learning environment and on-line successfully across a wide range of qualifications and subjects adhering to current teaching practices and standards.

Tony Bartlett has worked in forestry and natural resources management for more than 35 years, in Victoria, Nepal, Vanuatu, the ACT and with the Australian Government. He has extensive experience in the management of native forests and plantations as well as in forest fire management. He was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in 2006 and has been a firefighter since 1973. He has been a Regional Fire Protection Officer in eastern Victoria, a Deputy Chief Fire Control Officer in the ACT and he is an experienced Level 3 Incident Controller. From 1999 to mid 2005, he was the Director of ACT Forests and in that role he had significant leadership roles in the 2001 and 2003 bushfires. He has co-authored a number of articles on mega-fires and fire management in plantations.

John Brickhill has been interested in the natural environment since his early teenage years living on the north coast of NSW.  After receiving a Bachelor of Natural Resources, he worked with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in the Riverina and central NSW. During a 40 year career his roles  included as a Naturalist, Fire Management Officer, Area Manager and Regional Operations Officer, working across 50+ conservation reserves spanning a quarter of NSW.  He specialised in conservation of mallee environments, completing a Masters of Resource Science on the conservation of malleefowl. During this career, he worked at wildfires across NSW, in field and incident management roles, and prescribed burning in large mallee reserves. Upon retiring to Canberra, John has been an active member of ACT National Parks Association.

With over 15 years of international emergency management expertise focused on responding to natural hazards, Romeo is a seasoned professional dedicated to safeguarding communities from environmental risks. Throughout his career, he has assumed diverse roles, from a Senior Hazard Intelligence Officer at the Victorian State Emergency Services (VICSES), where he specialised in floods and intelligence product development, to his role as a NATO International specialist hazard management expert and Federal Advisor for the Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Incident Department. In addition to Romeo’s operational experience as a firefighter in the French Air Force and as a volunteer firefighter across different continents. 

Romeo’s commitment to harmonising emergency services with climate change solutions is palpable through his involvement in initiatives such as conducting climate change workshops in collaboration with the Canberra Environment Centre and co-founding Schematic Intelligence, an innovative Internet of Things Web App tailored for emergency management professionals for flood risk mitigation. Beyond his professional pursuits, Romeo nurtures his connection with the environment through bushwalking and camping.

Romeo’s passion for blending emergency services with environmental advocacy defines his journey, reflecting a dedication to enhancing community resilience in the face of natural challenges.

Len is passionate about and has conducted extensive research on how communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters. He has contributed to international research projects on disaster recovery and his work has been published in the Australian Journal of Emergency Management. Len’s key roles include an internship with the United Nations (UN) Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan, a consultancy role with the Asian Disaster Recovery Centre and working on a community engagement project for the ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES). He also has experience in government policy and program design, with a focus on inclusivity and empowerment of marginalised communities.

Len holds Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies (Hons.) and Master of National Security Policy (Advanced) with Honours from the Australian National University. He has been a volunteer for the ACTSES since 2018.

Asha Naznin has graduated in Bachelor of International Security Studies (Minor in Arabic language) and Bachelor of Science (Minor in Science Communication) from the Australian National University. She has also been awarded an MSc in Climate Change and Development from the University of Sussex, UK. She has been working for a multinational professional services company and serving for federal government clients as a Business Analyst. She is a certified Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 5 practitioner.

She received ACT government’s Audrey Fagan Board Trainee Fellowship 2020, sponsored by Willyama Services. As a DFAT New Colombo Plan (NCP) Grant Recipient in 2017 she has visited conflict prone zones between Thailand and Myanmar, and refugee camps across border areas. She interviewed militant and rebel groups in the region to understand the peace building processes. She also visited several dams in the Mekong River basin which forced mass population displacement and cost millions of livelihoods. Since then, she has developed a keen interest in diplomacy & negotiating skills.

She was a River Fellow for the Murray Darling Basin (Murrumbidgee River) in 2018 of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and lobbied with the Victorian Parliamentarians for a fair share of water.  In her spare time, she likes to play piano. She writes poetry and performs on local stages. She is a published poet in the Australian Poetry Anthology (vol 8). Her poem ‘A tree, two frogs and me’ has been on a display as a sign in the local Haig park by the City Renewal Authority &ACT government since February 2020.

Nicola is a dedicated advocate for climate change mitigation and adaptation. She has a strong interest in disaster preparedness, particularly in Australian communities facing the escalating challenges of climate change-induced natural disasters. Nicola has worked in a range of Government technical roles, assessing the environmental impacts of mining operations, and the resilience of Australia's energy network. She is currently at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, where her work involves exploring the role of technology in developing a more sustainable and resilient Australia.

Nicola holds a Bachelor of Science (Geology and Conservation Ecology) and a Master of Sustainability from Monash University, and a Graduate Diploma of Development Economics from the University of New England. She has been a volunteer in the ACT State Emergency Services since 2019.

Dr. Yebra is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Australian National University, where she also serves as the Director of the Bushfire Research Centre of Excellence. Her work focuses on applying remote sensing technology to improve bushfire management. She has served on a number of advisory government bodies including the Australian Space Agency’s Bushfire Earth Observation Taskforce (Feb-May 2020) and Earth Observation Technical Advisory Group (Since 2019) as well as the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s Scientific Reference Panel (2019-2022). Dr. Yebra has received awards such as the Australian Space Awards Academic of the Year (2023) and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC's Outstanding Achievement in Research Utilization Award (2019).

Matthew Harper is a renowned emergency and crisis planner, trainer and exercise manager with over 35 years’ experience in emergency services, government and private practice. Since 2019, Matthew has led Resilient Results, a specialist crisis and continuity consultancy providing operational mentoring, planning, training and evaluation services to governments and industry.

Resilient Results clients include Australia’s largest airports, energy companies, national and state governments, clients in Singapore, the Middle East and UK. Clients include retainers with major organisations to provide crisis mentoring to help organisations make sense and manage the first 48 hours of crisis. Resilient Results brings a history of working in emergency services, complex public spaces and governments to provide bespoke planning, training, and exercising solutions.

Matthew is a Churchill Fellow awarded in 2005 for his work on large scale evacuation management. He holds formal qualifications in Leadership, Disaster Management and Engineering (Electrical) among a plethora of industry qualifications. He was awarded a Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for leading the Australian medical hospital and team in response to Cyclone Pam impacting Vanuatu in 2015. Matthew is also board member of Simulation Australasia, an organisation devoted to promoting the use of simulation to improve knowledge in all forms. Matthew is a member of the International Association of Emergency Managers, Business continuity Institute and Institute of Company directors.